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How to be saved?
Why do I need to be saved? Romans 3:23 declares, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." Sin is evil in God's eyes, and whether it be idolatry, blasphemy, hatred, pride, arrogance, adultery, jealousy, theft, or any other of the thousands of sins, everyone has at one point or another sinned and done that which is abomination in God's eyes, to a greater or lesser degree. Because of this, we are all justly subject to His wrath and punishment of eternal damnation. We are doomed by law -- God's law, which we have broken -- to be eternally separated from his presence and holiness. God's way of salvation Thankfully for us, God does not want anyone to have to endure eternal torment. 2 Peter 3:9 says, "The Lord is patient with us, not wanting anyone to perish, but that all should come to repentance" God, in love and in his perfect plan, made a way so that we could be saved from damnation and our sin. 2,000 years ago, God in the flesh, Jesus Christ came to earth and had a ministry of about 3 years. He did many miracles and proved he was who he said he was, the Savior of the world, and God the Son who is in perfect unity with God the Father. Jesus lived a brutal life in the end, ultimately dying at the hands of Roman soldiers on a cross. Jesus could've easily fought back this unfair execution, being the King of the universe, but he took it and died willingly. He took the death we deserve. God's judgment, wrath and fury missed you and fell on his Christ there on the cross. The first half of Romans 6:23 reads, "The wages of sin is death..." What must I do to be saved now? The second half of Romans 6:23 reads, "but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." Jesus' blood is so powerful that whoever believes in His blood to provide atonement (forgiveness;substitute) for their sins can have their sins forgiven. Jesus is the only way to heaven. He himself is recorded as saying to his disciples, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man cometh unto the Father except by me." (John 14:6) Christ rose from the dead three days after his death, proving his victory over death and sin for all who believe in him (John 11:25-26). But this belief involves something more than just an intellectual acknowledgement of what God did for you. The Bible makes it clear that saving faith in Jesus involves repentance and afterwards, obedience. Faith and obedience, one can say, are "two sides of the same coin". To be saved, you must: 1. Believe that Jesus died for your sins, and rose from the dead after three days for your justification (read Romans 10:9-10). 2. Confess your sins to God. This doesn't have to be an exhaustive list of all the sins you've ever done in your life, it can just be something along the lines of "God, I confess that I am a sinner and have done many sins that are evil in your sight. I know now that you sent Jesus to pay the penalty for those sins and I ask you to forgive me by his blood and start to renew me, day by day, into the person you want me to be." As long as you're sincere about it, it doesn't matter how you word your prayer. 3. Repent. Repentance means you make an effort to turn away from any sin in your life you know offends God. 4. Obey him. This isn't a one time thing. The Bible makes it clear that only those who "endure unto the end shall be saved" (Matthew 24:13). Now that God has saved your soul, you have to start walking in obedience to him. If you have a Bible, it is best to start reading it at the New Testament, which tells about Jesus' life and how Christians today are to live. The old testament is typically recommended for later study, as it contains some material that does not apply to today's believers. Although Christ must now be your Lord, you do not need to think of him as a cruel, harsh dictator. He will also be your friend, if you keep his commandments (John 15:14). One reason Jesus lived a brutal life was not only to provide atonement for our sins on the cross, but also to be able to relate to us in our hard times. As you begin your new life with Jesus, remember that though God be your master, He is also an understanding, loving Father. Did you make a decision for Christ because of what you read here? Be sure to let us know in the comments section!